We started posting photos of the prototype Drake early last year, because we loved how it turned out.
However we took our sweet time test riding it and we only received our first production run this month.
So let's take some time explaining what you can do with a Drake.
We call it a 650b (27.5") wheel adventure tourer.
We designed it with a wheel base length between a cyclo-cross bike and a fully loaded touring rig, to offer the stability desired when you're 'packing, but without taking away too much spirit when you want to just rip around gravel roads and dirt trails.
It will fit 42mm Soma Cazadero or WTB Resolute tires with fenders or 2.0" mountain knobbies without fenders. You can also put on WTB Byways or Panaracer PariMotos for velvety road cruising.
Can you or should you run 700c tires? Depends on what you want to achieve. We gave it 10mm more BB height than your average road bike, because we wanted to make it more dirt-capable, so don't expect it carve downhill corners like our Homebrew road frame.
While you can't ride this as fast over gnarly trails as a bike packing hardtail, its front triangle will fit a larger frame bag than a hardtail.
Other features:
- Beefy cast dropouts that allow for separate rack and fender mounting. And though not Rohloff-specif, it is friendly to Rohloff set ups.
- Chainstay-located IS disc tabs doesn't interfere with most rear racks.
- PF30 Bottom Bracket offers a bottom bracket option with larger cartridge bearings and stiffer platform. If you choose to run geared hubs or single speed, you can get an eccentric bottom bracket, which allows you to adjust chain tension.
- Tange Champion CrMo tubing throughout
- Front mini rack mounts and pannier rack mount on optional matching fork
- Rear mini rack mount and pannier rack mount
- S-Bend chainstays
- Downtube shifter compatibility
- Optional lugged crown disc fork
That is a cool looking build!
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